Show Us Your Grocery Receipts, Part Two: Calgary Co-Op, Whole Foods, Trader Joe’s, and Aldi’s
It’s time to look at another group of grocery receipts, and see exactly what people are buying in grocery stores across the world. (So far “the world” has included the United States and Canada, so if you’re a Billfolder who lives somewhere else, consider sending a receipt snapshot to nicole@thebillfold.com.)
Receipt #1: Calgary Co-Op in Alberta, Canada
Billfolder Lyndsay writes:
I’m still trying to get over the terrible eating habits I picked up as a college student. Now I’m making the slow transition to an adult who plans meals and eats more vegetables than she throws out. (I always forget stuff in the crisper. The crisper is where my asparagus goes to die.)
Total: $134.52 CAD [$96.61 USD]
Meals-to-be (and leftover lunches):
- Baked salmon with herbs and lemon
- Something with the pork in the slow-cooker
- Ham, Apple, and Brie sandwiches (apple and Brie were in previous grocery haul)
- Breakfast bars!
Oh and I got a little hanging plant because why not.
I agree. Always get the hanging plant or the fresh flowers. Ignore any checkout staff who act surprised that you’re buying that stuff for yourself.
Receipts #2, #3, and #4: Whole Foods and Trader Joe’s in Arlington, Virginia
Billfolder Michelle sent in three receipts, representing a weekend’s worth of grocery shopping:
These three trips were all taken over the weekend. I only buy foodstuffs at grocery stores. Oh and bar soap from Whole Foods, sold loose, without packaging.
I try to buy as much of my dried goods in bulk, in my own cloth bags. You’ll see Whole Foods accounts for the weight of the bags. I also buy whatever produce is on offer. This past weekend, there was a mysteriously random deal for papayas and broccoli. And Trader Joe’s has the best deal on Haas avocados, where I live.
I’m impressed that the Pink Lady apples were priced the same as the Fiji apples; from my experience Pink Lady tends to cost more, which is why I rarely buy them. (Golden Delicious all the way, although I love McIntosh and Braeburn if they’re on sale.)
Receipt #5: Aldi’s in Central Maryland
This anonymous receipt was presented with a single comment:
Here is a weeks worth of groceries for myself in central Maryland!
Worth noting: this person elected to buy almond milk instead of dairy milk, Lyndsay bought lactose-free milk, and Michelle didn’t buy any milk at all. As you might remember from our first receipt installment, I have yet to find someone buying actual milk. I am sure there is at least one of you in my inbox right now, though—because I have a whole pile of receipts waiting to be shared.
We can also do a cost comparison on these receipts, because all three of our contributors bought bananas:
- Lyndsay in Alberta bought 0.97 kilograms worth of bananas—which, given the average weight of a banana, probably roughs out to five bananas—and paid $1.90 CAD or $1.36 USD.
- Michelle in Arlington bought five bananas for $0.95.
- Our anonymous contributor in Maryland bought 2.52 pounds worth of bananas—which represents about six bananas—for $0.73.
It looks like if you want bananas, you should live in the U.S. and shop at Aldi’s. Just don’t google “Aldi bananas,” or you’ll learn about this one time an Aldi shopper found a nest of spider eggs clinging to a banana peel. But that could have happened anywhere, right?
If you’d like to send in your grocery receipts, email them to nicole@thebillfold.com. Especially if you live outside the U.S. or Canada, if you buy milk, or if you’ve ever found spider eggs on your bananas. I want to hear from you.
Previously: Show Us Your Grocery Receipts, Part One: Whole Foods, Sprouts, Real Canadian Superstore, and Trader Joe’s
